NORTHWEST COLORADO NEWS AND SPORTS FOR SATURDAY, OCTOBER 26TH

Posted onOctober 26, 2013byKRAI|Comments Off on NORTHWEST COLORADO NEWS AND SPORTS FOR SATURDAY, OCTOBER 26TH

PUBLIC INVITED TO LOCAL RALLY TO SEND OFF THOSE HEADING TO DENVER RALLY

The public is invited to a rally Wednesday in the Craig K-Mart parking lot. The rally is being held to support those heading to Denver that morning to protest the Environmental Protection Agency’s new emissions regulations for existing power plants. The regulations are expected to make it impossible to operate a coal fired plant, something that could be devastating to the Northwest Colorado economy. The Moffat County Commissioners will testify during the EPA’s “listening tour” in Denver, a tour that the EPA tried to schedule for non-coal states. Wyoming is not on the tour schedule, and several Wyoming residents, coal operators, and power plant workers are also expected to show up. Those who can’t go to Denver are invited to help send off those who can, by showing up to the Craig K-Mart parking lot from 5 to 6 Wednesday morning. The caravan to Denver leaves at 6. There will be a free pancake breakfast provided by McDonald’s. If you need more information you can call 620-0743.

NATIONAL DRUG TAKE BACK TODAY

There are certain items people shouldn’t take to the National Drug Take-Back event today. Police Departments ask that needles and mercury thermometers not be brought in, as they aren’t prepared to dispose of those properly. The Craig and Steamboat Police Departments will take part in today’s effort to clear people’s medicine cabinet of unwanted and outdated prescription drugs. Other items they won’t take include oxygen containers, chemotherapy and radioactive substances, pressurized canisters, and illegal drugs. Steamboat’s event will take place at the Steamboat Police Department. Craig’s will be in the Centennial Mall parking lot. Both will be held from 10 to 2.

COUNTIES BANNING POT SALES WANT TO BENEFIT FROM TAXES ANYWAY

Some Colorado counties don’t want to allow retail sales of marijuana, but they don’t want to be left out when the state starts collecting the tax revenue. Next month, Colorado voters will decide whether to impose a 15 percent excise tax and a 10 percent sales tax on retail sales that start January 1st. The first $40 million in collected revenue would go to school construction needs. But after that, 15 percent of the revenue would go to counties that approved retail sales. Colorado Counties Incorporated, the lobbying organization for counties, wants state lawmakers to consider also distributing the revenue to counties that don’t permit marijuana sales. Colorado Counties argues the impacts of pot sales will be felt statewide, regardless of where pot is sold.

WYOMING MAN ACCUSED OF BATTERING HIS GIRLFRIEND

Bond was set yesterday on a Wamsutter man charged with multiple crimes following attacks that put the victim in the hospital. Sweetwater County Sheriff Rich Haskell said 35-year old Robert Carmine, is charged with two counts of Aggravated Assault, two counts of Battery Against a Household Member, Strangulation of a Household Member, Kidnapping, and Criminal Trespass. The victim was identified as Amber Blount, also of Wamsutter, who was in a dating relationship with Carmine, according to court documents. On October 17th, Carmine is alleged to have kicked or stomped Blount with a pair of boots. Carmine then ran into the residence and grabbed her by the throat and shoved her against a wall. Charging documents go on to say that a number of witnesses, on October 23rd saw Blount pulled into Carmine’s vehicle and saw him batter her in the face. She was bleeding from the mouth and had a gash on her forehead. reportedly Carmine tackled Blount and strangled her with both hands while she was on the floor. Carmine was also punching her in the face. Once inside the residence, Carmine locked the door and held a broken beer bottle to Blount’s neck. He told her that if she made a sound he would kill her. Haskell says Blount believed she was going to die. She was taken to Memorial Hospital of Carbon County in Rawlins, where she was admitted for a range of injuries and later released. Haskell said county detectives tracked Carmine to a residence in Rock Springs later in the day, where they arrested him without incident. Carmine’s bond was set at $250,000 yesterday. A tentative preliminary hearing date has been set for October 29th. Carmine remains in custody as the investigation continues.

STEAMBOAT SKI AREA TO BURN SLASH PILES

The Steamboat Ski & Resort Corporation, in conjunction with the U.S. Forest Service, will be conducting prescribed slash pile burns associated with the logging project at the Steamboat Ski Area earlier this summer. Smoke may be seen rising from the Steamboat Ski Area. The prescribed burns will take place on Ego, the bottom of Burgess Creek and Storm Peak. The ski area asks people to stay away during this time. The pile burns will consist of beetle-kill slash materials, primarily non-merchantable wooden debris and remnants from the resort’s summer logging project. Local Fire & County Authorities have been notified of the scheduled burns.

CONFUSION SWIRLS AROUND FIX FOR HEALTH CARE WEBSITE

At this week’s House Energy and Commerce hearing, Representative Cory Gardner (CO-04) asked the witnesses one simple question – who were the best and brightest that President Obama had called-in to fix the mess that is HealthCare.gov? Earlier this week, President Obama said that a “tech surge” was underway to bring in the “best and brightest” to fix the seemingly endless problems with the federal website. When Representative Gardner asked the witnesses who the best and brightest were, no one could answer the question – including QSSI Group Executive Vice President Andrew Slavvit. Slavitt was apparently oblivious that the White House chose QSSI to lead the surge of the best and brightest. That prompted Gardner to issue a statement in which he says “Obamacare has turned into a real life Abbott and Costello routine. Every new revelation that comes out about the disastrous roll out of this law shows how much of a debacle this really is. When I asked QSSI who was in charge of fixing the website, they had no clue that they in fact were the ones who were in charge. The American people deserve a delay of the individual mandate at the very least, so Congress can figure out how to de-construct this ticking time bomb immediately.”

In volleyball:
Rangely, Soroco and Meeker go to districts at Paonia.
Moffat County continues at districts at Grand Junction Central.
Little Snake River Valley plays Cokeville for the Regional Championship at 4 in Lander.

In cross country:
Moffat County, Rangely and Steamboat go to state in Colorado Springs.

DENVER BRONCOSThe Denver Broncos host the Washington Redskins tomorrow. You can catch all the action live on 55 Country with the pregame at noon and the kickoff at 2:30.